Back to Basics: 7 Healthy Habits Everyone Should Have
It seems like there’s always a lot of information available about what types of unhealthy habits people develop, so I thought that it might be a good idea to list some positive habits one can attain. Being healthy isn’t complicated, and there’s no one perfect solution for remaining healthy. However, following these few habits might have a greater impact on your overall health than you might think.
- Eating three meals a day – Nothing beats three square meals a day. The amount of people who skip a meal each day is astonishing. Two meals just won’t cut it. In my experience, the most frequently skipped meal is breakfast. Many nutritionists and doctors will argue that breakfast is possibly the most important meal of the day. It’s the meal that gives you all the energy that will keep you going until bedtime. That being said, skipping it isn’t very good for your overall health. If you are on a diet, it doesn’t mean you need to eat fewer meals, just be more careful about what you’re eating at those meals. Three will always be better than two when it comes to keeping the body supplied with energy.
- Eating healthy – This may be a no-brainer, but many, many people refuse to follow it. Healthy can be a very subjective thing at times, but the general consensus is that eating Fast Food multiple times every week isn’t very healthy. You don’t have to go crazy with health food, spending loads of cash on organic alternatives and the like, but you shouldn’t ignore it either. Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t ever have desert or a nice hamburger. Rather, it means you should have carrots instead of chips with lunch sometimes. You should make sure you have some fruits and vegetables with your meals, and include the neglected food groups (remember, chocolate isn’t a food group). If every now and again when you go out you opt for a salad instead of fries and a grease-burger, then at least you’re making an effort. Every little bit of healthy eating can really help.
- Taking multivitamins – Multivitamins are the champion of a healthy lifestyle. Just taking one a day can leave you feeling more energized, while improving your overall health and immune system. Unfortunately, in today’s face-paced world, almost no one gets his or her daily-recommended amounts of vitamins. Multi-vitamins work to solve that unfortunate dilemma. The important thing is to stay consistent. Take the vitamins every day and you may just notice a nice change in how your body feels.
- Exercising – Exercise should become a habit. Unfortunately, it is one of those habits that you really have to work at. I know many people who never exercised, then finally pushed themselves to workout consistently, and now they love it. It’s quite easy to make excuses to not exercise. The trick is to try to make it part of your daily routine. For example, some people get their celeb TV fix, or others watch luxury and international real estate shows while they work out. Exercising on a daily and/or weekly basis can add years to your life. You may also notice that you just feel better and happier. While it may really stink to have to go to the gym when you could be watching a movie or being lazy on the couch, the results will more than make up for it (if you’re committed to it).
- Sleeping well – Yes, sleeping well is very much easier said than done. However, too many people today burn the candle at both ends, as the expression goes. You’ll see a lot of different sleep recommendations out there, but most commonly I see 8-9 hours a night as the recommended healthy amount. Most people barely come close to that. Making it a habit can help. It may be rough at first, but force yourself to go to bed even if you aren’t tired, then force yourself to wake up at the same time every day (irregardless if you need to or not). Getting your body’s clock on a normal schedule can do wonders. The body can be trained to get used to almost anything. For example, If 10PM is when you are always forcing yourself to get in bed and go to sleep, after a while you’ll find that you naturally are tired and ready to sleep at that time. Another helpful hint is that if you sometimes get your sleep schedule off on weekends (or for travel, etc), do your best to stay up and reset your body’s clock. You may be insanely tired, but if you focus, you’ll be able to get things back to normal sooner than you think.
- Keeping a clean living space – Keeping where you live clean can do wonders for your health. If you make it a habit of always cleaning on certain days, and picking up after yourself, you might be surprised that you feel generally healthier. Dust, trash, old food, and other unpleasant things that can accumulate in one’s home can really negatively affect the air you breathe and lead to prolonged sicknesses. Make sure your Air Conditioning filters are nice and clean as well.
- Reducing stress at all times – Stress is akin to a disease in terms of healthiness (in my opinion). Stress causes arteries to constrict, increases blood pressure, makes the heart work harder, and can lead to many other unpleasant side effects (lack of sleep, fatigue, etc). Reducing stress is one of the healthiest habits you can have. People who actively try unique methods to calm themselves down (breathing exercises, walks, listening to music, and the like) find that they are generally healthier and happier than those who worry, get angry or upset, and do nothing but stress themselves out more. It’s not hard to reduce stress if you’re committed to it. Coming up with nice alternatives helps, as well as avoiding potential stressful situations when possible. For example, if golfing ends up making you incredibly angry and stressed with yourself, try not golfing. I’ve even met people who simply carry around a stress ball all day. Do whatever works for you, and don’t give up on it.
There are a lot of bad habits to get into for your health, but, as I hope I’ve shown, there are some good ones too. The essential point is that you have to make it a habit. Doing it once won’t make much difference at all. Being healthy is a lifestyle, so you have to commit many aspects of your life to it. You don’t need to be a crazy health person, but that doesn’t mean you can’t consider how things you do may positively or negatively affect your health. People who have these healthy habits, as well as other healthy practices, are generally more energetic, happier, and end up living longer too. It’s never too late to break a bad habit, and it’s also never too late to take on a good habit.
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